Tanzanian Gold Dealer Arrested in Suspected Killing of JOOUST student

Police in Bondo have arrested a Tanzanian national who works as a gold dealer in connection with the suspected murder of a 20-year-old student of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST).

Maximillian John Madeni was detained after the body of Alice Rianga, a second-year Bachelor of Education Science student, was discovered Saturday in a thicket near Barkowino within Bondo Township, Siaya County.

According to Bondo Sub-County Police Commandant Robert Aboki, local women searching for firewood found the remains and alerted authorities.

Alice had last been seen the previous Wednesday when she left her hostel room in Bondo town heading toward the university’s main campus. She never returned.

Her roommate, Kayla Wanyonyi, reported her missing the following Sunday and the description matched the body recovered a day earlier.

Preliminary investigations pointed to Madeni, whom the roommate identified as Alice’s boyfriend, police said. Officers have taken him into custody.

Aboki confirmed the arrest and said the scene where the body was found showed no immediate signs of a struggle, indicating she may have been killed elsewhere before being dumped in the undergrowth. The body was discovered without undergarments.

Alice’s remains have been transferred to the Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where an autopsy is pending as detectives continue to investigate the cause of death.

The killing has triggered anger and fear among students at JOOUST, who have issued a strong ultimatum to local authorities demanding for better protection and security in general.

Joel Odidi, a former president of the university’s student body, accused police of longstanding negligence, claiming repeated reports of violence against students have gone unaddressed.

“Students are being slaughtered every semester,” Odidi said, voicing the collective grief and frustration on campus. “We will no longer remain silent while our safety is compromised.”

Authorities have not yet filed formal charges against the Tanzanian national, and the investigation remains ongoing.